Faversham Hop Festival 2009

Subject: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 06:08 PM

just a quickie to remind all who are coming that the Fyrebox session for all singers and musicians who want o join in will be in The Old Wine Vaults this year and not the Phoenix.... and on Saturday Skynflynt will be there with Rob's banjo an' all... it's an acoustic session on Saturday 12-2 & 4-5, also Sun 12-2 & 4-5... with bands in between... it's good to be in the centre of town mow, rather than out on the skirts, so please come and sing/play...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: naughtyforty
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 08:15 AM

I will be there.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Essex Girl
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 08:49 AM

I'm intending to come down on Saturday

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 11:10 AM

I am planning to be there, but am not yet clear whether I will be with Bishop Gundulf or not.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: The Barden of England
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 11:23 AM

I may well appear on Sunday.
John Barden

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Abdul T B B on laptop
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 12:03 PM

Boo Hoo, no stewards t shirt for me this year.

Al

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: melodeonboy
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 12:41 PM

Most of the sessions clash with Jumbo Gumbo gigs (self-publicist, moi?) - also at the festival, but I should be there for the early Sunday one.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 01:40 PM

be good to see one and all whenever you can make it! Have good reports of the Wine vaults too... What do we have to rub to make you appear, John?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: The Barden of England
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 02:13 PM

Bob - The Magic Tankard of course!!

John Barden

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: The Barden of England
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 03:00 PM

Just realised that there's a song in that, or has it already been done?
John Barden

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Dead Horse
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 04:06 PM

There's probably a drink in it, at least.
Do they have beer in Faversham?
Will The Phoenix rise from the ashes?
Is The Bear a catholic?
Does the pope have one in the wood?
Are Fez Heads dancing in the Sun?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 09:59 AM

Wevva forecast good too (until 10 pm Sun)

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: wrotham-arms-jen
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 12:49 PM

i'll be there saturday. there's a list of who's playing on the stages, but does anyone have anymore info?
jen

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 12:53 PM

There OUGHT to be a programme that will say what other indoor events are where (eg, sings, sessions, pub gigs, and so on. I think it costs three quid.

Only the squires and foremen of the dancing sides are likely to have the dance rota, and it will be unreliable anyway as when morrismen stop for beer, well, they stop for beer.

There will probably be a song/session in the pub nearest the campsite Fri and Sat eves.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 03:06 PM

when I last looked the prog wasn't up- thay make a lot of dosh selling them on the day- only £1 I think last yr, cd b wrong...! See ya there., Jen!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 03:13 PM

Of course modesty also forbids me to mention that the Hop Festival guests at the Faversham Folk Club/ Chimney Boy on Friday night are

Bob Kenward & Steve Moreham-

original songs & flying fiddlefingers...
sure to be a good night, plenty of chorus singing too...
more on the website...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: wrotham-arms-jen
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 07:34 PM

well, broadstairs make money on the program too but you can buy them in advance....it is a pain to show up and guess you have the right day.

ah well...see you all saturday (friday too if poss synbyn)

jen

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 01:21 AM

Hope it goes well....(It usually does!)
Have fun
Ralphie

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge in a field
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 07:32 PM

So far no good

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Girl Friday
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 01:52 PM

We have found previous festivals a tad disappointing, especially the long hike into town from the visitor's carpark.(We used to be able to park for the day at Abbey School). Seeing as we both have mobility problems at present,we have decided to stay at home . Hope you are enjoying yourselves.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 03:50 PM

I enjoyed Chaversham Hop Festival more than ever before.

Free beer all Saturday night, for playing from 2030 to 2300 in the Elephant when no-one else turned up (so nearly a gig) and lots of people, even non-hard-core-folkies queuing up to say I was good ! 2 knew what a Daion guitar was, 1 knew "Come away Melinda" was covered on Uriah Heep's first album "Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble, and 3 spotted the Tim Rose covers.

Friday night, however, and the Saturday afternon acoustic session in the Old Wine Vaults were totally pants.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Girl Friday
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 09:00 AM

Had phone call from Doug H on Saturday, who was surprised that I wasn't at the Festival. Good for you Richard, we got free beer undersimilar circs at the Chimney Boy, a couple of years ago. Went down well with the assembled drunks. Shame about the acoustic sessions though. Sue

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: naughtyforty
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 01:18 PM

I went to Faversham for the first time and had a lovely time.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Kampervan
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 01:32 PM

We've been to the hop festival every year that it has been running (except one) and enjoyed them immensely.
The one drawback however is that if you want to find an open singaround it can be quite difficult.

They seem to be in a different place each year, sometimes they're not really wanted by the locals - e.g. The Old Vaults on Saturday afternoon, where Bob K and his friends had to sing every song at the top of their voices just so that they could hear themselves over the background laughing and shouting! Not a chance of an unaccompanied song.
I don't know if we missed any good sessions, but this was the first year that I came away without having sung a single song.

Spontaneous sessions have sometimes arisen, but again you've got to be very lucky to stumble across them.

Maybe next year one of the pubs might like to put a room aside, e.g. the Faversham folk club room at the Chimney Boy, and just get someone to run it as a singaround.

Just a thought.
K/van

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Essex Girl
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 02:22 PM

Congratulations Bob on holding out against the noise on Saturday afternoon. The lunchtime session was good though, even though there weren't many of us there. Sorry I couldn't stay for the weekend owing to family commitments.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: wrotham-arms-jen
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 02:42 PM

i had a lovely time - really enjoyed sur les docks (or a subset of them), hot rats brill as usual, and the chimney boys seem to get better each time i see them. the beer was excellent in all pubs we went and the sun was shining. just stopped by bob's session but was with non-muso crowd so couldnt stay. hope it went well bob.

jen

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 03:59 PM

yes saw ya in the distance, Jen!
have to say the wine vaults made us very welcome, and surprised thqt mr B found it pants- all four sessions were different and agreed the sat 4pm sess was loud and difficult, but that's hop fest saturday for you- it's a town festival , not a folk festival!
Thanks to all who came along and joined the sessions- the last session on Sunday was a treat, mostly because it involved many people who wouldn't have stepped inside a folk club- and who danced and sang with a bit of encouragement... and the atmosphere was described to me as one of the best sessions ever, specially when reinforcements arrived and we carried on til we got tired!
Good to see you again K?van, and take your point about separate room- this we have done in the past, and using a garden which was particularly good when the sun shone... must admit I'm a bit of an evangelist and like getting into the crowds and Skynflynt have never been worried by a noisy room- we just get rob to play the banjo!
see you all soon- don't forget the woodshed on friday!
Cheers
Bob

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 04:21 PM

It was only the Sat 5pm that was pants: even the banjo could hardly be heard, and the wriggling of the tartan deckchair (or should that be "deckchav"?) was most distracting! None of that to the demerit of you Bob or Skynflynt who battle don valiantly.

I did enjoy the gobsmacked expressions on Sunday in the Wine Vaults when those who recognised it realised I had started "Sir Patrick Spens" - and was even more amused at the faces when I finished it only 5 verses later!

Kampervan, had you come to the Elephant on Sat, you could have had a sing: it was just that I was the only one there. I did not know that there was anything in the Wine Vaults on Sat eve, but reportage is favourable. Maybe text messages and flash crowds next year!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Kampervan
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 06:00 PM

Hi there Richard

Looks like I made a few wrong calls this weekend.
Seems like I picked the worst possible time to go into the 'Vaults',
(I have to agree with you about the Deckchair).

Didn't bother going along to the Elephant and I'm really annoyed about missing the Sat night session there, especially since I'd asked the landlord about 2 weeks ago if he was having any music over Hop Festival and he told me that he was relying purely on the quality of his beer to attract the crowds!

Was there anything at the Crown and Anchor this year?

Oh well, try again next year.
Regards
K/van

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 07:15 PM

Yes, the Couronne and Onanist featured, on Friday night, margarine and another, plus a fat bird who told me to shut up, so I did and left to return to the campsite as the Elephant had an electric gig.

Oh, yes, and BG's lawn ornament sang the Lincolnshire Poacher (again!)

On Sat I only got there at about midnight at which point the (Gundulfs) twins were jumping about trying to sing but mostly stamping, with a child from Dead Horse and another from Liberty.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Kampervan
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 07:24 PM

That'll be a 'No' then!!!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 09 - 05:29 AM

Just because Richard was asked to stop joining in with 2 inexperienced young singers at the Crown and Anchor by a member of rampant rooster does not give him the right to name call.

I do not approve of cyber bullying and I expect adults to know better.

Flora G.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: Dead Horse
Date: 10 Sep 09 - 09:37 AM

Richard, Dead Horse & Liberty do not have children, they spawn devils :-)
I also understand that the member from Rampant Rooster can be particularly offensive, so you did the right thing in leaving mate, even if your encouragement to the youngsters was misinterpreted.
It can take some folks a long time to realise that they aint wanted.
And I am afraid that beer quality alone will not bring in the customers where nearly all the pubs serve quality ales. I quite like The Elephant and do not like The Railway, but if the music is at one & not the other, I know where I will be.
Sad about the Phoenix.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 10 Sep 09 - 11:41 AM

Sounds as if the Hop fest has taken a bit of a backward step...Shame really,It was always great fun.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Sep 09 - 12:38 PM

It is not the festival that has taken a backward step, Ralphie, but the derogatory name calling on this site.

Verbal name calling is a form of bullying as obnoxious as physical bullying. It reflects badly on the person doing it and I regret to say, poorly on their morris side too.

The Crown and Anchor always has some of the best evening singers sessions at Faversham, with some of the best singers from Faversham folk club, the morris and the mummers. While enjoying themselves, everybody is very polite, listening to others, joining in on choras songs while they wait their turn. I have never seen poor behaviour from any of the youngsters. This event may not be to your taste - but should never be an excuse for calling people from other morris sides derogatory names.   

Flora G.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 10 Sep 09 - 02:04 PM

Well having lived in Faversham for at least 7 Years, I've never encountered such antics going on...I always thouroughly enjoyed the music, particularly our wonderful Belgium friends.
Seems a shame that it has come to this...
I'm just glad that I knew it years ago.
And no. It was never ever a Folk festival. It was a celebration of the Hop Harvest.
I wish it well.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: synbyn
Date: 11 Sep 09 - 04:45 AM

The Belgians were there as usual, Ralphie, and missing you! Along with the French (inb the same pub!) Flora's right, it's easy to pick isolated incidents and blow them up, but the overall festival was very well supported and the town was packed. 5 stages...

As ever it's a case of where you go and what you make of it... and respecting that the place is full of locals who may never otherwise encounter folk music at all, as you know.... personally i sang Dirty Old Town 5 times on request, and managed plugs for the folk club on many occasions...

Missed the flying fingers... hope they're busy busy...
Bob

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: banjoman
Date: 11 Sep 09 - 05:34 AM

Maggie & I had our first visit to the Hop Festival and thouroughly enjoyed it especially the sessions in the Old Wine Vaults. Thanks to Bob for making us welcome, and to all those who managed to get out of the way of my mobility scooter in time.
Hope to be back next year provided we dont demolish any more walls with the caravan.
Pete & Maggie

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Sep 09 - 04:35 AM

You might like to camp on the school site next year Pete and Maggie -there is a really good wall you could attack- I think your scooter could make it into town.

The Crown and anchor for the evening sing arounds is close to the school - but get there early as it is always full. Last year we were there for 4 hours on the saturday and managed to do 3 songs. We keep on expecting the couple who own it to retire - which would be a shame as ever since we started it they have always made us very welcome.

Our only complaints - but more like suggestions about faversham - is that the stages were a bit too loud - which made it difficult for the acoustic morris sides, turn the volume down half a notch - and the streets look increasingly like a boot fair - have a seperate area for the tat and reduce the congestion.

Flora G.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Sep 09 - 05:40 AM

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST,'flynters
Date: 12 Sep 09 - 05:48 AM

Nice to hear that most of you had a good time at the Vaults... maybe some 'bridges' were not crossed tho' !! Next time it would be nice to be given a venue where the more subtle stuff could be aired and we don't have to shout above the noise... It is particularly a problem when you can't even hear a banjo !! We find it is a problem that Skynflynt are given the 'noisier' venues simply because we can usually cope. Cheers all.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 09 - 03:13 AM

On Saturday lunchtime Priory musicians played accoustically in the sun for a while and got a very nice reception - clapping after each tune set - by the non folkies around.

Flora G.